Post by Reese Rascal on Aug 13, 2017 16:09:14 GMT -5
Rain poured down on their heads as they walked. A flash of lightning streaked the darkened sky. The wind ripped at their clothing and yet they kept moving. They had no place to go. They hadn't found a place that was safe yet. The last place they were was overrun by the dead. There was no going back now. Reese led the charge. He walked ahead of the other kids in his group. His jacket torn and tattered. It looked moth eaten and falling a part. He reached up and grabbed the goggles on his forehead and put them over his eyes just to keep the sting of rain from his vision. Thunder roared across the sky like angry gods.
"I'm scared Reese!" One of the younger kids had called out. It was Lauren. She was one of the younger of the group. She was only thirteen and though Reese had taught her to fight it didn't make her a hardened killer. There were still people in this world who were inherently good and not accustomed to the violence and cruelty of the world. Reese had done his best to shield them from that reality, but they needed that reality. No matter how much he wanted to protect them they needed to know what the world was. Or they wouldn't be prepared for it. Reese stopped and turned at her cry.
The group stopped on the road. The older kids raised their weapons and scanned the trees on either side of the road as they were stopped. it was the task of the older kids to keep the younger ones safe. It was how their group functioned. The older you got the more your role became protector of what the group was. The group was mostly younger kids. Reese, and a few others were 17 18 and even 19 but the overwhelming majority was kids of the age around 12 13 and 14....
The way the group worked was the younger ones were the scavengers, the older ones were the protectors. The young scavengers could get in and out quicker, fit through smaller openings. They were escorted by an older kid, but they did the scavenging. The older kids dealt with the harsh reality of protecting the group and things were balanced out. Reese stood in front of Lauren who looked at him scared.
Lauren was especially afraid of the walkers. She watched her whole family torn apart by walkers and she had only joined the group a short while ago. She had survived this long with her family until recently. They had coddled her, kept her safe... She had no survival skill of her own. Reese saw this and when they found her he promised to keep her safe no matter what. Reese crouched down in front of Lauren.
The heavy rain pouring on him as he smiled at her. Lifting up his goggles to look her in the eye Reese spoke. "I know your scared, but we have to find shelter. We're survivors. What do survivors do?" Reese asked with the kind loving voice of an older brother teaching his kid sister a lesson. "They keep moving." Lauren said solemnly. "That's right!" Reese replied. "Survivors keep moving. So lets find some place safe for the night, just stick close to me huh?"
Reese stood in the center of the group with Lauren. Standing up he took her hand and led her to the front of the pack. The older kids had encircled the group with their weapons drawn, eyes focused on the darkness for signs of movement. "Alright everyone keep their eyes peeled for any place we can bed down. We're not looking for comfort just someplace that can fit all of us! Come on let's get out of this storm!" Reese looked over and saw one of the older kids, a girl.. Andi. He smiled at her. They weren't all a group from the start, a few of them had joined in later Reese looked after all of them and would protect them with his life.